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Biomedical Engineer.

St. Louis.

$95,000

median salary, 11% below the national average

$78,000 to $119,000. Last updated August 2026.

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Data points to own the conversation.

The median Biomedical Engineer salary in St. Louis is $95,000, 11% below the national average. Entry level starts near $78,000. Experienced professionals push past $119,000. St. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.

Salary range.

25th Percentile

$78,000

per year

Median

$95,000

per year

75th Percentile

$119,000

per year

Where do you fall?

$78,000$119,000

Orbyt estimate for Biomedical Engineer in St. Louis, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. BLS does not publish this occupation for this metro area, so the national published benchmark is below.

Government benchmark for this occupation

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $109,370 for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (SOC 17-2031) across the United States, based on 23,480 employed workers (May 2025 release).

10th percentile

$71,850

25th percentile

$86,980

Median

$109,370

75th percentile

$136,600

90th percentile

$168,180

Workers surveyed

23,480

What BLS published in each release

May 2024 release

$106,950

May 2025 release

$109,370

These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.

BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (SOC 17-2031) rather than Biomedical Engineer specifically. The national range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.

View the BLS source for SOC 17-2031

Salary by experience.

The gap between entry and lead level is typically $85,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.

Entry (0-2 yrs)

$62,000

to $76,000

Mid (3-5 yrs)

$81,000

to $100,000

Senior (6-9 yrs)

$105,000

to $124,000

Lead (10+ yrs)

$119,000

to $147,000

Total compensation.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $27,000 to the total package.

Base

$95,000

Equity

$15,000

Bonus

$10,000

Signing

$2,000

Estimated total: $122,000

How St. Louis compares.

St. Louis, MO

$95,000

Cost of living: 10% below average

National Average

$107,000

St. Louis is $12,000 below

Biomedical Engineer salary by city.

Biomedical Engineer salary comparison across 10 cities
CityMedianRangeCOLAdjusted
San Jose, CA$151,000$122,000 to $189,0001.38x$109,000
San Francisco, CA$149,000$121,000 to $186,0001.35x$110,000
New York, NY$141,000$115,000 to $177,0001.28x$110,000
Seattle, WA$137,000$111,000 to $171,0001.24x$110,000
Boston, MA$136,000$110,000 to $170,0001.22x$111,000
Honolulu, HI$136,000$111,000 to $171,0001.30x$105,000
Los Angeles, CA$131,000$107,000 to $164,0001.18x$111,000
Washington DC, DC$128,000$104,000 to $161,0001.25x$102,000
Newark, NJ$126,000$103,000 to $158,0001.18x$107,000
St. Louis, MO$95,000$78,000 to $119,0000.90x$106,000

See all 81 cities for Biomedical Engineer →

Salary by role in St. Louis.

Salary comparison by role in St. Louis
RoleMedianRange
CTO$278,000$217,000 to $362,000
General Counsel$255,000$198,000 to $331,000
CEO$255,000$185,000 to $352,000
Biomedical Engineer$95,000$78,000 to $119,000
Database Administrator$95,000$69,000 to $121,000
Mechanical Engineer$95,000$77,000 to $122,000
Construction Manager$95,000$74,000 to $124,000
UX Designer$93,000$71,000 to $119,000

What you should know.

If you are interviewing for Biomedical Engineer roles in St. Louis, here is what you are walking into. St. Louis offers one of the most affordable major metro areas in the country, with a strong base in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing. The region's anchor employers include Boeing, Centene, and Washington University's medical campus. A growing biotech and plant sciences corridor centered on the Cortex Innovation District is attracting new investment and talent. Subspecialty drives significant pay variation, with implantable device and tissue engineering roles paying premiums over rehabilitation equipment design. Industry setting matters, as medical device companies pay 15 to 25% more than hospitals or research institutions. Advanced degrees and FDA regulatory experience boost earning potential.

Entry-level biomedical engineers start at $72,000 to $85,000. Senior engineers with specialization earn $95,000 to $122,000 after five to seven years. Engineering managers and directors at device companies reach $130,000 to $175,000 with strong bonus potential. In St. Louis, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.

Base salary is not the full picture. Medical device companies offer bonuses of 8 to 15% and equity grants. Many roles include patent bonuses of $1,000 to $5,000 per filing. Benefits typically include generous continuing education allowances and conference travel budgets. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and St. Louis City adds a 1% earnings tax. The low base cost of living means your after tax salary still stretches further than in most metros. When someone quotes you $95,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work in person at Cortex or the BJC campus. St. Louis employers offer higher packages for candidates who commit to the local innovation hubs. The range for Biomedical Engineers in St. Louis runs from $78,000 to $119,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology

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$

25th

$78,000

Median

$95,000

75th

$119,000

Considering a related role?

  • A UX Designer in St. Louis earns $93,000 (2% less)
  • The highest-paying role in St. Louis is CTO at $278,000

Common questions.

A master's adds $8,000 to $15,000 in starting salary. However, industry experience often outweighs advanced degrees for mid-career professionals. PhDs are most valuable in R&D roles at large medical device or pharmaceutical companies.

Neural engineering, implantable devices, and computational biology command the highest salaries. Engineers working on FDA-regulated Class III devices earn 15 to 25% more than those in lower-risk rehabilitation or diagnostic equipment.

St. Louis offers one of the most affordable major metro areas in the country, with a strong base in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing. For Biomedical Engineers specifically, the median salary of $95,000 reflects that demand.

Biomedical Engineer compensation in St. Louis has trended upward as demand outpaces supply. The 2026 range of $78,000 to $119,000 reflects a market that rewards specialization. Subspecialty drives significant pay variation, with implantable device and tissue engineering roles paying premiums over rehabilitation equipment design.

Medical device companies offer bonuses of 8 to 15% and equity grants. Many roles include patent bonuses of $1,000 to $5,000 per filing. Benefits typically include generous continuing education allowances and conference travel budgets. In St. Louis's market, the base range of $78,000 to $119,000 is just the starting point for negotiation.

Biomedical Engineer salary in other cities.

Other salaries in St. Louis.

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Cite this data

Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.

"Biomedical Engineer Salary in St. Louis, MO." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/biomedical-engineer/st-louis

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